


the story never ends

by shecouldbeamazing



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Special, F/M, Feels, Gallifrey, Regeneration, Trenzalore, Twelfth Doctor - Freeform, the time of the doctor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 10:31:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shecouldbeamazing/pseuds/shecouldbeamazing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He stared ahead of him, eyes wide, face pale, words stuck in his throat.<br/>When the words finally did come, his voice seemed small and trembling.<br/>"You can't be here."<br/>She reached towards him, but he flinched away from her.<br/>"No. You're not real."</p>
            </blockquote>





	the story never ends

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this based on this picture I found on tumblr: http://haircutandanewsantasuit.tumblr.com/post/70516308509. Also, I really really want River to be in the Christmas special. So this is how I cope.

He stared ahead of him, eyes wide, face pale, words stuck in his throat.

When the words finally did come, his voice seemed small and trembling.

"You can't be here."

She reached towards him, but he flinched away from her.

"No. You're not real."

_Quit haunting me_ , his mind whispered in pain.

"Don't be afraid."

"I am," he shot back, shutting his eyes. "Why are you here?"

"It's time, doctor." She replied gently, like a salve on an open wound.

He shook his head vehemently, opening his eyes, but not looking in hers. It was too much, too soon.

"Everything ends, Clara, and sooner than you think," he murmurs, looking back towards the TARDIS, where Clara was waiting patiently for him. They had to leave and fast.

River took his hand in hers and held it to her chest, as he had done not too long ago. The shock of her fingers, soft and warm and _alive_ made his hearts pound.

The Doctor swallows his joy, eyes locked on her hand clasping his. "You knew this would happen."

She smiled sadly, looking at his face, trying to make him look at her. But he couldn’t.

"I always know."

His hand gripped hers even harder. Taking a sharp breath, he finally looked in her eyes, and found himself lost in them. He'd forgotten. He’d tried so hard not to, but he'd let the memory of her blue green eyes slip past him, through his fingers into the dark. He'd lost their warmth, their knowing gaze, their comfort, their love. It all came rushing back to him and he found himself drowning in the current.

"I die here, River." _River._ He hasn't said it in so long. The name sounds wrong on his tongue. Disused.

She shook her head. "Spoilers," she whispered.

Confused, he intertwined their fingers, trying to find stability.

"I don't understand."

"You will."

Placing a hand on her face, his thumb caressing her cheek softly, he smiled, knowing the impossibility.

"I have no regenerations left."

_You're wrong,_ she countered, thoughts brushing his.

Breath stilling, fingers shaking, his world stopped. "How?"

"Berlin," she said simply. Tears filled her eyes and she smiled. The Doctor gazed back in wonder, knowing it wasn't a sad smile this time. And oh how he'd forgotten how beautiful her smile was. His hearts swelled with emotion.

"You- but those didn't count. You used them up."

"No, I didn't my love. I _gave_ them to you. All of them." She sniffled and took both of his hands in hers now. "You told me one day to come here and tell you this. You said this was important, that you needed hope."

"But I'm ready, River. You even said it yourself, it's my time."

"Oh, my love, no. Not to die. It's time to start over. And I'll be here every step of the way."

His eyes mirrored hers, tears blurring his vision. _How? How could there be more adventures for him?_

"Time to run?" He offers, as alarms start to blare overhead.

"Time to go home," she corrects and his hearts leap in his chest.

Gallifrey lingers over his thoughts, and he holds her hand all the tighter.


End file.
